The Host Boat
by chosuki
Summary: Haruhi disembarks on a summer trip she had not anticipated...6 weeks at sea with no one but the host club members! How will she survive?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER** Ouran High School Host Club was created and is owned by Bisco Hatori. She gets all the money…I get reviews…that is all. Enjoy!

**Author's Note** This is an idea I have had for quite a while. It going to be a romance, but I don't know who she's going to end up with. She will have moments with Tamaki, Kyoya, Hikaru, and possibly Kaoru. Who knows? It may turn into a free for all! or should I say…Haruhi for all. I don't think Honey will be in on it though…even in the slim chance I have Mori join in. She will end up with someone by the end though. I'm pretty sure…I just don't know who yet.

I'm not quite crazy about the title…a little cheesy, but I it's not that bad. Kinda a take off of the Love Boat…oh well. Enjoy! I hope to have more chapters up soon. PLEASE read and review….Reviews let me know that you want more:-)

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_**The Host Boat**_

_Chapter 1: Precursor to a Tiring and Trying Trip at Sea_

"HaruhiHaruhiHaruhi!!! Look at it! Isn't it wonderful!?" Tamaki was all over the place. He refused to sit still as the limo drove up to the dock where a humungous cruise ship awaited their arrival.

"Tono," Kaoru chimed in with a smirk. "Of course she thinks it's wonderful."

"Because Haruhi," Hikaru said slyly, eyeing his twin before they chimed in together.

"…Has never been on a cruise ship before, neh?" Tamaki's face turned ashen and he pulled Haruhi into a strong embrace.

"My poor, poor Haruhi! Don't worry; Daddy will OUCH!" Tamaki cradled his freshly pinched hand against his chest. "Mother!" he cried to Kyoya.

"Haru-chan! Haru-chan!" Haruhi turned to try and pay attention to the adorable senior. There was way too much going on for even _her_ to keep concentration for too long in the closed in cramped space. What with the twins laughing and fawning over each other and Tamaki complaining to Kyoya about how his daughter was not accepting his love and care.

"Yes, Honey-sempai?" she responded to his call.

"Is it true that you've never been on a cruise before!?" His voice was filled with wonder as he leaned further toward her from his seat on the knee of the ever silent Mori. Still, Mori seemed to look at her expectantly awaiting an answer. Just as she opened her mouth, someone chimed in for her.

"Well, Haruhi in fact _has_ been on a cruise before, though it was only for two days to Okinawa." Haruhi turned to see Kyoya patting Tamaki on top of the head, calming him, with one hand while he continued typing on his laptop with the other. Haruhi just looked at him with her mouth open. She knew she shouldn't be surprised at his secret knowledge of her private life anymore, but this was going too far!

Kyoya smirked, and still didn't look up. "Of course, that was years ago. She was only eight years old then. Here's a picture." His hand emerged suddenly from somewhere, holding up a picture of her from her childhood. She was standing at the bow of a ship,

wearing a dark purple one piece swimsuit with orange floaties on her arms.

No, she was mistaken. _THAT_ was going too far!

A struggle then ensued as two twins, a blonde king, and Haruhi fought to retrieve the picture from Kyoya's hand. Much to her relief, she was able to procure the stolen memento from her past before the others could get their hands on it. Tamaki pouted, the twins scoffed and acted as though it didn't matter, and Mori listened as Honey whispered secrets about who knew what. Haruhi glared at Kyoya, who continued typing, a telling grin gracing his lips.

She sighed and sank back into her seat as the limo pulled into the check in area. She was surprised that there were no other cars around. Wasn't a cruise during the summer normally fully booked? She did remember that there were many open staterooms when she had booked her spot on the ship a few months ago.

Not that she had ever _wanted_ to go on this cruise with the host club members. But with Tamaki's begging and the twins teasing, she was about to go crazy! Luckily, Kyoya made her an offer she could not refuse…which of course was a reduction in the size of her debt if she chose to participate in the much needed vacation. It couldn't bee all bad, could it? She would get lost easily in the crowds of people, and probably only have to see them at dinner. She had brought many books, thankful that this trip should not cut into her reading and studying time.

She was also a little bit excited. It was a two week cruise, would that leave Tokyo bay and would make its way down to its first quick stop at Okinawa, before heading…well, she wasn't too sure where the cruise was heading. Kyoya had said he would take care of everything, and she made him promise that he would not make arrangements that she could not afford.

Her father had ransacked her room last night after she had finished packing. He had unpacked and repacked her suitcases, adding two more full suitcases of clothes. She was only going for two weeks! What did she need with all that stuff!? But she sighed, and had accepted it. She was too tired to argue, and in the long run, it really didn't matter. Though she did wonder where her father had gotten all those clothes from.

She stepped out of the limo when the door opened for her, and stood in wonder as a line of servants unloaded the trunk of the limo, which seemed to hold more than it could realistically hold. She would never admit it, but Tamaki was right. The cruise ship was indeed the largest she had ever seen. There were rows upon rows of windows and balconies, and she began to feel the excitement build in her stomach.

She looked around. Other than the members of the host club and the servants and cruise employees, she saw no one. This was incredibly odd…_oh no._

"Kyoya," she asked softly, realizing the shadow king was standing right next to her.

"Yes, Haruhi?" he asked as he stood there relaxed, leather laptop bag dangling easily from his shoulder.

"Why is there no one else here? Doesn't the cruise leave soon?"

"Why Haruhi! You don't mean to say that you believed we would be going on a cruise with commoners, did you?" came the sing-song unified voice of the twins.

"I would not have minded, but don't you think it's better this way?" Tamaki said smiling. He took in a deep breath of sea air and spun in a circle. "Just think of it! A whole six weeks of nothing but the wind, the water…" he turned to her with a wink, "…and us!"

_Oh. God. No._

"B-b-but I thought that it was o-o-only a _two_ week cruise!" Haruhi said, her eyes going wide.

"But Haru-chan!" Honey said cheerfully, grabbing her hand. "How would we have time to go to Hong Kong, Fiji, _and _Australia in only two weeks?"

"What!?" she asked, light suddenly filling in the dusky cobweb filled shadows of her knowledge of the trip.

"Your father agreed quite readily to it." Kyoya was walking forward now, following a prancing Tamaki and a quiet Mori.

"Come on Haru-chan! We're going to leave soon!" Honey pulled on her hand one more time, before running forward and scaling Mori's back in one jump, landing on his shoulders.

_Maybe I can get away…quietly…_ she thought, taking a step back. But she bumped into something solid. Hands grasped her shoulders and held her tightly against a firm chest.

"Gee, Haruhi? Where do you think you're going?" Hikaru's mouth was right next to her ear, making her shiver, as Kaoru stalked around in front of her.

"We're about to leave! You weren't…"

"Trying to get away, were you?" Their voices combined with her racing heart, confused mind, and awakening panic. Her arms were seized and she was lifted off the ground, propelled forward by the force of the twins at her sides.

Before she knew it, she was aboard the ship, the gang plank blocked, with no way of escape.

Her relaxing vacation had swiftly morphed into an extra long summer nightmare!

END OF CHAPTER

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Thanks for reading! Let me know how you liked, disliked, loved or hated it! Thanks!

chosuki


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER** Ouran High School Host Club was created and is owned by Bisco Hatori. She gets all the money…I get reviews…that is all. Enjoy!

**Author's Note** This chapter has a little bit of Tamaki, but is mostly a Kyoya chapter. Don't worry, most characters will get moments, and more moments…it's a six week cruise for goodness sake! LOTS of time for LOTS of things to happen. Well, read and enjoy!

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_**The Host Boat**_

_Chapter 2: The Commencement of a Tiring and Trying Trip at Sea_

Haruhi leaned against the railing, her short brown hair blowing in the sea breeze as she watched the harbor slip slowly into the distance. Tamaki thought the scene could have come out of one of his fantasies, if that dark angry aura surrounding her, telling everyone to stay away, had been absent.

As it was, however, the rest of the host club had been forced further and further from her presence. The twins had quickly given up on teasing her and had gone to find a crew member or two to torture. Honey and Mori had likewise left. Honey was anxious to try out the full buffet of sweets on the upper deck, and Mori had dutifully followed after him. The only two left on the deck now were Tamaki and Kyoya, who Tamaki had all but forgotten.

"Don't worry," Kyoya spoke, startlingly reminding Tamaki of his presence. "She'll get over the…shock of it, soon enough." Tamaki turned to look at his friend.

"I thought she would take it better. It was supposed to be a surprise…" Tamaki's eyes drifted back to girl, whose head was now resting forehead down against her arms. His brow furrowed as he heard Kyoya's sigh behind him.

"Haruhi is Haruhi," his friend explained, placing a hand on his shoulder. "She likes order and schedules. This trip is not quite what she had in mind. Once she gets it all figured out in her head-"

"She'll be back to normal," Tamaki finished. He lowered his head and laughed a sad and dejected laugh. "I should have known that…I should know her better." Before he knew what happened, Tamaki fell forward, flat on his face, after a hearty slap on the back from Kyoya. In shock, Tamaki turned around, only to gaze up at a smiling Kyoya, glasses glinting in the sun, looking as composed as he ever did.

"Why don't you go get settled in your room? Look around the ship a little bit. It's time Haruhi went to her room as well. I'll take care of everything." Kyoya pushed his glass further up the bridge of his nose and crossed his arms. Tamaki felt his eyes begin to water as all the depression melted away in the face of his friend's kindness. In a burst of emotion, Tamaki sprang up and forward, arms spread wide.

"Mon Ami!" A firm hand landing on his chest, keeping him at an arm's distance stopped him, but wasn't wholly unexpected. He smiled wide and, taking one last look at Haruhi, Tamaki went off to his room.

* * *

Kyoya watched his friend walk away in much better mood and sighed. He turned back to the strange girl that looked like she had been sent to prison, rather than on a pleasure cruise that most people in her financial circumstance would kill to experience. He smiled; it was just like her. He prepared himself, calling upon all his powers of coolness, and made his way over to her. She knew he was there, he could tell by the way her shoulders stiffened as he leaned against the railing to her right. He would let her speak first, and soon enough, she did. 

"Six weeks, huh?" she asked softly.

"Yes," he answered.

"Fiji?" she asked, her voice lifting slightly.

"Yes," he answered again.

"I guess it won't be so bad," she said, standing up straight. Kyoya's mouth turned up, as he stared at her. She finally looked at him. "Where's my room?" she asked, now apparently content in her understanding of the situation.

"I thought you would like to know. Follow me." Kyoya turned, not having to look back to make sure she was following. They waited in silence for the elevator, waited in silence in the elevator, and remained silent as they made their way down a long narrow hallway until he stopped in front of her room. He handed her a card key, and she opened the door.

He knew he would have to follow her in, so he would not be able to see her expression, which would evidently be priceless. He stood behind her, as she stood stock still, probably drifting between awe and anger. The room was one of the largest on the ship. A queen size canopy bed stood against the wall, an end table with lamp on each side of the bed. There was a large mirrored closet, two dressers, a sitting area with couch, love seat, and chair. There were also two television sets, one mounted on the wall opposite the bed, and one that came along with the entertainment center near the sitting area. The curtains had been drawn back, showing the sliding glass door that opened onto a balcony.

"Kyoya-sempai," she stated calmly enough, "Where's my room?" She turned to him, her eyes confused.

"This _is_ your room, Haruhi," he stated matter-of-factly. She opened her mouth to object, obviously to what the room must be costing her. "The room will not cost you more than the average stateroom on the lower decks." Again with the confused look...ok then. He pushed his glasses up his nose and sighed. "If I were to place you in one of those lower staterooms, who would be unhappy?"

"Tamaki," she said, still with that look on her face.

"And?"

"…and…Honey-sempai?" Kyoya sighed again…he would have to spell it out for her completely.

"Along with everyone else. This is a vacation, and they want you to enjoy yourself," with a grin he added, "Regardless of how you want to."

"I see," she said, turning away again. "But the cost-"

"Balances out in the long run," he finished. "If you're well taken care of, the other hosts are happy. If they are happy, the customers are happy."

"Ah," she said, her eyes settling on her empty bags of luggage.

"All our things have been unpacked for us. Relax, Haruhi…" He placed a hand on her shoulder. "This is a vacation." And Kyoya heard Haruhi laugh for the first time that day.

"If I must relax, you must too Sempai. But for some reason I can't picture it." It was at that precise time that the boat decided to sway, and Haruhi, not used to being at sea, stumbled forward against him. Kyoya wasn't sure why he didn't stop her with the arm all ready on her shoulder. Somehow, as she had stumbled, he had pulled her too him. Almost as quickly as it had happened, he placed both hands on her shoulders and held her steadily away from him.

"S-sorry Sempai!"

"It'll happen a lot," he said, the light from the glasses hiding his eyes. Kyoya had become quite proficient in knowing how to hide his eyes from those he wished. Releasing her he walked toward the door. Remembering something he turned around to face her again.

"Sempai?" Leave it to her to know when he was about to tell her something. It was important, and hopefully, she would appreciate the gesture…which he wasn't sure as the reason he made it.

"This is your room, but the room the others think you are in is on the other end of the deck." A look of confusion again crossed her features, before a big smile of relief. He pulled a paper out of his inner coat pocket, and handed it to her. "These are our room numbers. We are only one deck above you, so if you need anything don't hesitate to use the phone to call."

"Thank you Sempai," she said, taking the paper from his hand. Kyoya simply nodded and turned back to the door and left. He walked down the hallway, letting the smile he had been hiding finally gain freedom.

* * *

Haruhi was a little upset about the room, but in the end, she decided it didn't really matter. Considering the room would not have been given to anyone else anyway, it might as well only cost as much as a regular stateroom. And she had a balcony, which would be nice. 

Her mind suddenly flew to the moment where she had fallen against Kyoya, and her stomach dropped a little. Her eyes grew wide and she walked quickly to the end table, opening the drawer. Whew! They were there! She opened the box and unwrapped the small round patch. Having all ready read the directions before she left, she put the flesh colored motion sickness patch behind her left ear.

Great! Now she wouldn't get sick. She looked around the room again, then to the paper she had laid on the bed next to her. It looked like everyone had their own room, except for the twins of course. She smiled as she realized that now they couldn't play any pranks on her since they didn't know her real room number. No one knew it…

…except Kyoya…

A chill ran down her spine, but she shook it off. If there was an emergency it was good that he knew her real room number, considering he'd probably be the first person to know or be informed of anything. That made her relax a little.

Now, if only he would stop sharing random details of her private life with whoever bothered to listen!

END OF CHAPTER

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I'm not much of a Kyoya writer, but even still... I wrote this in a sleep deprived state...and thought I had gotten across the message I wanted to get across, and now, after re-reading it as I am more awake, I realize I did not. I will rewrite it later and replace this chapter with the revisions. For those who read THIS version:

I DID NOT MEAN FOR KYOYA TO COME ACROSS NICE! He's a lot nicer than I meant him to be...well, I meant for him to do all the things that he did in this chapter, but know that he's not doing it for nothing. He has very calculated reasons behind not letting anyone else know of Haruhi's true room number(which I realize I contradict myself in saying from one of the sentences in the chapter), he got rid of Tamaki for a reason, and he's made all these moves, gestures and comments for a "reason." AND when reading it, I noticed how he sounds like he's all cheerful. But I don't picture it that way when I read it...though it's kind hard not to now that I'm awake. I pictured his voice still very cool and stoic, even when he's telling her to relax...very businesslike...

but I need to revise... Hope you liked the chapter anyway!

chosuki


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER** Ouran High School Host Club was created and is owned by Bisco Hatori. She gets all the money…I get reviews…that is all. Enjoy!

**Author's Note** Ok, I said I was going to revise the last chapter, but I have decided not to. I'm too tired, and it'd just be strange to try and revise it now. I like it that way, darn it! I'll just fix Kyoya next time he shows up.

Well, this chapter ended up being a Tamaki chapter…which _I_ happen to like, but I promise more chapters of different characters. I think the next one will be a twins-happy chapter. _Interesting…_

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_**The Host Boat**_

_Chapter 3: An unexpected game of pool_

**CLICK – Attention passengers! This is your cruise director, Ryoichi! Tonight is our stop in Okinawa. A four course dinner will be served on our private beach, followed by a limbo contest! Don't miss it! The docking boat leaves at 7:00pm, and dinner is served at 7:30pm. Bring your appetites and your bathing suits, 'cause you're in for a good time! See you there! – CLICK**

Haruhi had stopped reading her book, interrupted by the loud obnoxious voice that invaded her private solitude. Sighing, she sat up from her position on the couch and placed the bookmark, saving her spot in her book. She looked up at the clock on the wall that showed the time. 5:13pm in digital lines flashed once and became 5:14pm. She had kept to her room now for the passed three hours. As much as she wanted to stay in her little sanctuary, she knew that she needed to venture out.

If anything, she could just try to make her way around the ship, learning what was on it, and where everything was. She might even find a spot on one of the decks outside. It could be a relaxing alternative to the couch in her room. She slid her sandals onto her feet and grabbed her key card off the top of the T.V., sliding it into her shorts pocket. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and left the room.

The elevator showed many decks, but luckily there was an outline of the ship inside. A deck that seemed interesting was one that showed a library, lounge, restaurant and…billiard room? How could someone play pool on a ship? Wouldn't the swaying make the balls move? She sighed, pushing the appropriate button. Rich people would probably find a way to get what they wanted.

The elevator moved quickly, and opened at her chosen deck. Stepping out, she turned to the left and just walked. No better way to get to know a place than by walking around, right? The first room she hit was the library. _Very_ interesting in her consideration. This would be a very frequented room. The next room was the lounge, filled with leather chairs and couches, with a bar and bartender at the end of the room. The bartender smiled at her and asked if she wanted anything. She declined, and continued on.

The next room was closed off by glass doors, and passing through them, she found Tamaki holding a pool cue while studying a pool table. At her entrance he glanced up and his serious contemplation of the table turned to a look of elation and joy.

"Haruhi!" he said excitedly running to her, dropping the large stick to the ground with a cracking sound. She held up her hands in front of her, anticipating the coming embrace. He slammed into her with less force than she thought he would, but the embrace was still tight and a little awkward for her.

"Haruhi! I'm so glad you've come! Did you come just to see me!?" he asked with a huge grin on his face as he leaned away from her. His hands still held her arms, and she contemplating what his reactions would be as to how she answered. She chose honesty.

"No," she said bluntly. The grin vanished and he disappeared, reappearing in the corner of the room. "Sempai…" she groaned out. She approached him and heard mumbling.

"Haruhi is so mean…she doesn't care about Daddy…she wished she had never come here…" Truthfully, Haruhi was starting to regret her decision to come to the room, but she just sighed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Tamaki-sempai, you are overreacting." It was then that something hit her. "Sempai, why are you playing pool all by yourself?" Tamaki turned an ashen face over his shoulder.

"Because no one else wanted to play. But it's ok! I'm used to playing by myself." He stood balancing on one of the chairs he was next to as the boat moved. Haruhi heard a mechanical noise and turned back to the table.

"What was that?" she asked, her legs shifting slightly to maintain balance. Tamaki now looked as if he were in the best of moods.

"Why Haruhi! Of course it is the mechanism that keeps the pool table level at all times!" One of his arms crossed his abdomen, while the other balanced the elbow that held his hand to his chin.

"Is there such a thing? How very odd…" she stated. Before she knew it she was grasped to Tamaki's chest yet again, as he spouted off about how cute her commoner mind was at not being able to grasp the necessity of 'such a thing.' However, this time while against him she smelled something. It tickled her nose and made chest tingle slightly. Very strange…

He released her and walked over to pick up his pool cue, which rolled slightly on the floor and made him chase it. Finally catching it, he turned to her, holding the cue out to his side like some sort of hero with a staff.

"Do you want to play a game with me?" he asked with a bright smile. Haruhi was about to decline, wanting to explore the ship some more when she remembered what he said earlier. _I'm used to playing by myself_. Part of her wondered which smile was on his face when he said that…the real one or the forced one. She then imagined him by himself, playing pool in a large mansion alone because he was forced to live away from his family. In the split second it took her to remember these things, she rejected her first impulse.

"Sure, I'll play…one game," she said smiling. He looked like he was about to jump her again, but instead he turned to a rack that held many pool cues, choosing a smaller lighter one for her to use. "But I have to tell you," she said, taking the cue offered to her, "I've never played before." A dark shadow came over his face and his eyes began to have an unearthly glow.

"You've…_never_ played before?" a strange low voice asked from Tamaki's mouth. Haruhi shook her head slowly and nervously.

"Then I'll teach you!" Haruhi sweat dropped as Tamaki returned to his normal self. Haruhi clutched the pool cue closer to her body, but took a few steps closer to the pool table. Tamaki was taking all the colored balls and placing them in the triangle. She knew the basic object of the game; she wasn't stupid. She had just never played before. Tamaki lifted the triangle from the table and set it in the seat of a chair.

"Do you want me to break?" he asked, holding the white cue ball in his hand. Haruhi nodded her head, knowing that she could learn by watching. He moved to her end of the table, placed the ball on the dot, and bent over, focusing as he positioned his cue. He slid it back and forth between his fingers a few times, before shooting it forward. The white ball shot across the table and crashed into the triangle of balls, scattering them everywhere. A red ball and a ball with a green stripe plopped into the corner and side pockets. Tamaki smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, it looks like I get to choose!" he said, but then he opened his eyes, looking straight at Haruhi. "Or _you _can choose!" he asked her. "Do you want to be stripes or solids?" Haruhi looked at the table, the positions of the balls, and was utterly confused.

"Um…solids?" she said uncertainly. He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Then I'm stripes." He walked around the table until he stopped near where the white ball had ended up.

"You go again?" she asked.

"Yeah, if you get a ball in the pocket, you get to go again."

"Oh," she stated simply, and watched as he aimed again. His face made a weird serious look as he bent over, his lips pursing out in concentration. Well, whatever he did, it worked, as he sank another ball. Two more made it in, before he finally missed a shot and it was her turn.

Haruhi walked up to the table where the white ball was closest, and looked to where the other solid balls were. There were more of them on the table. Most were blocked by the rest of Tamaki's striped balls, but there was one she thought she might be able to hit. She looked down in the pool stick in her hand.

"Here," Tamaki said, leaning over next to her and holding his cue. "Rest it on your thumb, and balance it with your finger. Try to hit the center of the ball." Haruhi nodded and did as he said, yet when she hit the ball, it went off to the side instead of straight ahead. She furrowed her brow. Haruhi hated when she wasn't able to do something.

"Here," Tamaki said grabbing the ball and placing it where it had been. He grabbed Haruhi's hand, molding it the way he wanted around the thinner end of the stick. He went behind her, grabbing her other hand and holding his over hers on the fatter end. When he leaned over, his chest pushed against her back.

It felt different this way somehow, like she was in more control of the cue. She also felt warm….and that smell was there again, tickling her senses. It was probably some kind of cologne, but she hadn't smelled anything like it before.

"Move it back and forth to aim it," he said, using his hands on hers to slide the cue back and forth between her fingers. His face came really close to hers. "Put the point of the cue right in the center of the ball." She moved the cue slightly down, his hands on her helping her steady it. "You got it?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered. Suddenly, a strong motion and power gripped her hands and pushed forward, shooting the cue ball straight ahead. It hit the orange solid ball and it crashed into the pocket. Tamaki released her hands and Haruhi stood up straight, a strange excitement filling her.

"You got it in!" Tamaki exclaimed, running over to the pocket. Haruhi smiled, feeling unexpectedly proud of herself.

"Yeah, I did," she said grinning. Tamaki's face blushed slightly, an Haruhi was reminded of what had happened. "Thanks sempai! You helped me get it in." Tamaki's blush grew deeper and he fumbled with his fingers.

"Well, I didn't do a lot…" he said.

"So, it's my turn again?" she asked. He smiled again and nodded. She moved over to the white ball, bent over, held the cue, aimed and shot. A dark green ball crashed into the corner pocket. Haruhi jumped up and exclaimed, "I think I'm getting the hang of this." She turned to Tamaki, whose eyes were wide and mouth agape.

They finished out the game, which had become unexpectedly close, but Tamaki won out in the end.

"Congratulations, Sempai. That was more fun than I thought it would be." Haruhi handed him her cue and he replaced it back on the rack.

"I…I'm glad you had fun. You're pretty good," he said, then with a sly, hero-Tamaki smile, he added, "But I suppose that is because you had a marvelous teacher!" Haruhi laughed a little and waved.

"See ya. I'm going to walk around a little before we leave for dinner." She made her way to the door, but as she opened it, she heard Tamaki behind her.

"Um….Haruhi?" he asked. She stopped and turned around. "Will you play again…sometime?" He held his cue in both hands, and looked rather embarrassed for some reason.

"Sure." She smiled and walked out.

She didn't see the sweet smile that crossed his face, or hear the deep breath he exhaled. She couldn't possibly know the rate at which his heart was racing.

END OF CHAPTER

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SIGH Oh well, at least _I_ liked this chapter. I hope everyone else liked it! The next chapter? I'm thinking something like _An strangely interesting limbo contest_. At least that's what I'm thinking. And I promised twins! So it'll be twins. After that…probably a Kyoya again. We'll figure it all out. And don't worry, if you like him…maybe Ryoichi the Cruise Director will make an appearance…hehe. Annoyingly perky, like a tour guide. Oh well.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS CHAPTER! Thanks for reading! See you next chapter!

chosuki


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER** Ouran High School Host Club was created and is owned by Bisco Hatori. She gets all the money…I get reviews…that is all. Enjoy!

**Author's Note **ok, ok. I said before this would be a twins chapter, and it _kinda _is. It ended up being more of a Kaoru chapter though. For some reason, I'm really digging Kaoru right now, especially after writing this. I've totally and utterly confused myself. Enjoy!

* * *

_**The Host Boat**_

_Chapter 4: An Unexpected Misplacement and Replacement…_

_No…no…nonononono!!!!!_ Haruhi was growing a bit anxious. She knew she had packed them. She was not mistaken about that. Two one-piece swimsuits were plenty for her. She wasn't one of those rich snobby girls that couldn't wear the same thing twice. She had one swimsuit and one back up! That's all she needed. She liked her dark blue one-piece with a small yellow flower on the hip. It was the first one she had tried on the last time her dad had insisted on her buying a new suit, and she was perfectly satisfied. She wasn't much for swimming, but when she did, she liked that suit. She had also brought her old middle school suit as a back up, just in case anything happened to the other one.

It wasn't there. It wasn't in any of the drawers, or in the suitcases, or in the closets. Where were her swimsuits!? It wasn't just because the obnoxious guy said to bring a suit. She wouldn't care so much, except for the fact that they were hers and she knew she had packed them, and she wanted to know where they were. She wasn't even planning on wearing it tonight, but she was going to take it just in case the members (i.e. Tamaki, the twins, Honey-sempai) threw a fit she didn't want to deal with.

She fell back on her bed and closed her eyes, letting her mind go through the motions of memory retracing, when she hit the nail on the head. _Dad repacked my suitcase._ But he of all people would want her to wear a swimsuit! It didn't make sense!

A knock at the door had her jumping up. It couldn't be Kyoya, and no one else knew… She walked over and opened the door to see a tall, rather pale woman with dark hair, wearing a cruise member polo shirt.

"Ms. Fujioka?" she asked with a horribly cheerful voice.

"Um…yes?" she answered. Who did the woman think it was?

"HI! I'm Yuki! The assistant cruise director! This was mistakenly sent to the Hitachiin room, but I was informed that it needed to be given to you as soon as possible! So, here I am!" Haruhi blinked twice before looking down at what the woman had brought.

Two…two large suitcases…were right in front of the door. Haruhi, in a mechanical mode, opened the door and allowed the perky woman to bring in the suitcases. She had to drag them, which suggested they were heavy. But she didn't recognize the suitcases at all.

"There must be a mistake," Haruhi said politely. "These aren't mine."

"Oh! But they are!" she cried. "I was told specifically to bring these to your quarters as soon as possible so that you would be prepared for this evening!" Haruhi blinked…hoping against all hope that this wasn't starting to mean what she was deathly afraid of it meaning. "If you need anything else please don't hesitate to ask! We're here to serve! And don't forget, the boat leaves in forty-five minutes for the shore. Buh-bye!" And the woman pranced out of the room.

Haruhi laid one of the suitcases out on the floor and unzipped it, knowing somehow what she would find. As the she lifted the top, her heart dropped into her stomach, before almost jumping out of her throat.

Swimsuits… At least forty or more swimsuits in this one suitcase alone! This was ridiculous! How could she possibly wear so many? She sifted through them, noticing that most were two pieces. Um…._most_ were two pieces, right? She dug through, lifting out and examining each piece of elastic cloth she could get her hands on.

Not one one-piece swimsuit. She'd never worn a two-piece before! It was strange to her, but she swallowed the little lump that had formed in her throat and decided that it wouldn't be too bad. She began to search as much as she could to see if there was one that would suit her. Finally, after thirty minutes of laying out, looking at, picking up, trying on, and looking at again, she decided. It was a two-piece, but the top was more of a tank top that would cover most of her stomach. It was dark purple, with a thick white stripe across the chest, and the bottoms were simply dark purple bikini bottoms.

She was almost surprised when she looked in the mirror. It didn't look half bad…and she hated to admit it…but it was better than her one piece suit. She shook her head and sighed. What had she become!?

Not having much time left, Haruhi decided to just wear the swimsuit under her clothing. She pulled on a green t-shirt over the swimsuit top, and was about to put on a pair of jean shorts, before she realized that the dinner could possibly be a dressy dinner. There was a small debate inside of her about how she didn't really care, and that shorts were fine, but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. Well, she already had her t-shirt on, but she put the shorts back in the drawer. Walking over the closet, she chose a simple brown skirt, just flowing enough to be comfortable. A skirt was dressy enough. She slid on her sandals and made her way to the departure deck.

* * *

"What?!" she finally blurted out at them. They were all staring at her in way that was apparently making her nervous.

"Haru-chan! Kawaii!!!" Honey blurted out grabbing her hands. She blinked as she looked down at the short senior. Kaoru looked as his brother, who had a soft smile on his face. He knew, without having to ask, that his brother was speechless. The idiot still didn't know he liked her. Kaoru smiled to himself and looked back at Haruhi, now trying to fend off an adoring king. The obvious way Kyoya ignored her spoke volumes to Kaoru, but no matter how much he tried to focus on the others and their reactions, his eyes kept moving back to her.

They had dressed somewhat casually, apparently all realizing that Haruhi would not dress up. Still, a pair of slacks and a button down shirt _was_ pretty casual for a dinner in their world. But Kaoru never thought she would suddenly match so nicely. Somehow, the t-shirt with the slightly frilly skirt suited everything about her.

"Haruhi! Father is so happy! You are embracing your femininity and…" The poor girl was shrugging, and Kaoru suppressed a laugh, before sensing his brother's eyes on him. When their eyes met, something clicked inside, and he knew exactly what to do. _Nice thinking, brother,_ he thought.

"Ha-ru-hi!" he said slowly as he lurked toward her, Hikaru at his side. "Why don't you-"

"Sit by us on the boat!" his brother said with him. Kaoru nudged the protesting king out of the way with his hip and took Haruhi's arm in his, knowing his brother was doing the same.

"Uh…sure. I wanted to talk to you guys about something anyway," she said pointedly. Kaoru laughed inside. She just didn't know what it was like for him when she reacted so naturally bored with everything.

They made their way to the boat: the cold shadow, the silent giant, the bubbly childlike adult, the sulking king, and between him and his brother…the person whose arm he held. Tamaki sat next to Kyoya, still sulking silently, while Honey sat next to Mori. That left one bench open for himself, Haruhi and Hikaru. Kaoru chose the inside, and inwardly thanked his brother as he pushed Haruhi further onto the bench, practically squishing her between them.

It was a slightly tight squeeze though, and her leg was fully against his, as well as part of her torso. She was warm, and Kaoru had to fight the redness threatening to fly up his face. He turned slightly, resting his arm on the edge of the boat. His other hand was grabbed by Hikaru, and they joined together, their hands coming to rest on the small of Haruhi's back.

Kaoru _loved_ the fact that she didn't mind, or even seem to notice. He would notice enough for the both of them.

"I don't like what you did today. I want my swimsuit back," she stated firmly.

"Why whatever are you talking about Haruhi?" chimed Hikaru.

"You know what I mean. I don't need all those swimsuits, just one is fine."

"Just one?" Hikaru state, looking at him. Kaoru nodded and joined.

"Isn't it funny? This person thinks that it's ok to have 'just one!'" He smiled as she sighed.

"If I have to, I might keep two, but honestly, I don't need more than that." She looked up, not at Hikaru, but at him. That shocked him slightly. "And I want my other suit back too." Her look was not to be denied, but he would never have let her know that.

"Well, who knows?" he said.

"It may have all ready been disposed of…" Hikaru stated.

"Hikaru!" she said disapprovingly. "I want it back. I liked that one."

"But it was poorly made! A commoner's suit that someone else made and we don't want you to wear it!" said Hikaru, his voice raising. Kaoru frowned slightly. His twin did take things too seriously at times, but his possessiveness only cemented Kaoru's opinions. His brother loved her, or at least liked her a great deal…which held many complications for himself.

"Well, I am a commoner, as you keep telling me. So I don't mind it." She blinked. "You mean…you made all those swimsuits?" she asked, finger pointed in the air. Hikaru pulled back and blushed.

"W-w-we enjoy making things! We would have made them for anybody!" He turned away from her and stared into the back of the dejected king.

"Oh," she said softly, folding her hands in her lap. Kaoru was glad she didn't notice how much he watched her. The truth was, the suits were made by both of them, with Haruhi in mind. Each one was designed to flatter her body type and fit her perfectly. Even though it had been Hikaru's idea, Kaoru joined in eagerly. It was a project that he could not resist.

The boat lurched forward in the water, and Kaoru ignored the spray of water against his arm. The movement of the boat seemed to move Haruhi more against him. He looked down, seeing a purple strap peeking out from the neckline of her t-shirt. His heart skipped a beat. The stitching, the subtle difference in material, the fit on her shoulder… She was wearing one of _his_ suits.

Some he and his brother had worked on together, and some they worked on their own. This had been his favorite and first choice, even out of the joint project ones. She had chosen _his_ suit, and he couldn't help but imagine her in it. Right now, as she was pressed up against him by his twin, something _he _had made was tightly clinging to her skin. He blushed a little, smiled, and looked ahead to the beach.

The boat ride to dock was less than five minutes, and Kaoru began to think that this dinner may be a little more interesting than he first anticipated.

END OF CHAPTER

* * *

Anyway, sorry, limbo contest in NEXT chapter. This one went a totally different direction than anticipated. I might let a few characters have moments in the third chapter…but whatever comes will come.

Also, I feel SO bad for writing this and posting it before my Inuyasha story _Secret Soul_ (shameless plug). I promised I would right chapter for chapter, and I've gone two chapters in this story when it was Inuyasha's turn. Oh well, inspiration strikes where it may, right?

ANYWAY! Enough of my babbling. Please review and let me know what you think!!! Good or bad! I promise I don't mind. I like reviews! They're like chocolate! hm…. Thanks for reading! See you next chapter!

chosuki

p.s. Happy Valentines Day!


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